This article was originally published in the fall 2012 Harker Quarterly.

The weather was as warm as the atmosphere as nearly 200 guests turned out for a summer evening reception for new parents held at the Silver Creek Valley Country Club in San Jose this past June.

The annual event welcoming newcomers to Harker was graciously hosted by board member Sally Anderson, with opening remarks by Chris Nikoloff, head of school, and Joe Rosenthal, executive director of advancement.

After time for mixing and mingling, Rosenthal kicked off the evening’s program by showing clips from televised news stories about Harker and its students. Many of the new parents had not seen the clips and were clearly impressed at the school’s many newsworthy accomplishments.

Following that, Casey Near ’06 spoke about her years and experiences at Harker, noting the impact her peers had on her and how well- prepared she felt for college and beyond.

Attendees were visibly moved by the event. They also enjoyed appetizers, drinks and dessert while connecting with one another as they prepared to become a part of the Harker community.